1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to large optics and more particularly to a large optics stand.
2. State of Technology
The article, “Cleaning procedure for mirror coating at Subaru Telescope,” in Proceedings of the SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering, Vol. 4837, pp. 887-95 (2003) provides the following state of technology information:                “We would like to present the procedure of how to prepare the primary mirror of Subaru Telescope for the realuminization. The equipment for the coating and its preparation are located at the ground floor of the telescope enclosure. There are two trolleys for carrying the mirror cell and the mirror itself, a mirror lifting jig, a washing facility for the primary mirror (PMWF), the water purification system, the coating chamber and the waste water pit. The PMWF can provide the tap water for initial rinsing, the chemical for stripping the old coating, and the deionized water for final cleaning. It has two pairs of arms that deploy horizontally above the mirror and have nozzles to spray. The arms spin around its center where the rotary joints are connected to the plumbing from storage tanks. Deck above the water arms serve as platform for personnel for the inspection or for scrubbing work. We use hydrochloric acid mixture to remove the old aluminum coating. For rinsing and final cleaning, we use the water through the purification system. The water supply from the nozzles and the rotation of the arms can be controlled from a panel separated from the washing machine itself. After several experiments and improvements in the washing, we have carried out the coating of the 8.3 m primary mirror in September last year. This was the third time, and the reflectivity of the new coating show satisfactory result.”        
The article, “Handling and transporting the 8.4 m mirrors for the Large Binocular Telescope,” in Proceedings of the SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering, Vol. 5495, pp. 453-62 (2004), provides the following state of technology information:                “The Large Binocular Telescope has two 8.4 meter mirrors, one of which is now in the telescope. Handling and moving the 8.4-meter honeycomb mirrors calls for moving 16 metric ton mirrors while maintaining very low stresses. We have now handled the first LBT mirror off the furnace, turned on edge, cleaned out, turned upside down, on the grinder, turned again, put on a polishing cell, moved under the polishing machine, lifted with a vacuum lifting fixture, moved to the telescope cell, to a transportation box, down the highway, onto a multi-axle trailer on edge, up Mount Graham, into the telescope building, back into the telescope cell and up through a hatch onto the telescope itself. The second LBT mirror is in the polishing stage. We have designed and manufactured many pieces of specialized equipment to handle the task. This equipment must be able to handle the mirrors without exceeding 0.7 MPa (100 psi) stress in the glass.”        